Looking for CalWORKs/EBT mobile app - does California have an official one?
Been trying to check my Cash Aid balance and upcoming payments without calling the customer service line every time. Do we have an official app for CalWORKs in California? I've seen some other states have EBT apps where you can check your balance, see deposit dates, and even report changes. My friend in Arizona showed me their app and it's super convenient. Does California have something similar or am I stuck with calling that automated number and waiting forever? I'm tired of getting disconnected while on hold just to check basic info about my benefits.
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Mason Stone
Yes! California actually has the BenefitsCal mobile app that works for CalWORKs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal. You can download it from the App Store or Google Play. It lets you check your balance, see upcoming payment dates, upload verification documents, complete your SAR7, and even submit applications/renewals. It's connected to the same account you'd use on the BenefitsCal website. Much better than calling the IVR system every time you need to check something.
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Savannah Vin
•Thank you! I didn't know about this. Is it called exactly "BenefitsCal" in the app store? I tried searching for "CalWORKs" and "California EBT" before and couldn't find anything official.
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Makayla Shoemaker
theres also the connectEBT app which is just for checking ur EBT card balance but it dont do nothing for the cash aid part of calworks. i use it 4 my calfresh balance. the one the other person mentions is better if u want the full thing
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Christian Bierman
•Just to clarify - ConnectEBT only shows your CalFresh food benefits AND the EBT Cash portion of CalWORKs that's loaded onto your card. But it doesn't show pending deposits or help with reporting. The BenefitsCal app is more comprehensive for managing your entire case.
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Emma Olsen
I've been using the BenefitsCal app for about 6 months and it's HORRIBLE compared to the regular website!!! Constantly crashes when I try to upload verification docs and half the time my SAR7 gets stuck "processing" for days. I ended up going back to using the full website on my phone browser instead. Maybe they'll fix it eventually but right now it's frustrating.
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Lucas Lindsey
•same i had so many problems with the app crashing when i tried to report income!!! almost got my benefits cut off bc the county said they never got my paystubs but the app showed "submitted" 🙄
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Sophie Duck
After waiting 2+ hours on hold with my county office last month just to ask about my WTW participation hours, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a actual person in like 15 minutes. You might want to try it if you're having trouble reaching someone at the CalWORKs office. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE and their website is claimyr.com But yeah the BenefitsCal app is good for basic stuff like checking your balance and upcoming deposits. Just sometimes you still need to talk to a real person about specific questions.
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Emma Olsen
•Is that service legit? Seems weird to use a third party just to call the county office. Did you have to give them personal info?
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Sophie Duck
•They don't ask for any of your case info or benefits details. They just help you skip the hold time. Basically they call and wait on hold for you, then call you when they get through to a real person. WAY better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Austin Leonard
Be careful with third-party apps claiming to help with benefits!! There are several unofficial apps that look like they're for checking EBT balances but they're actually collecting your information. Always make sure you're downloading the official BenefitsCal app or using the ConnectEBT app which is made by Conduent (the official EBT card provider). The BenefitsCal app will have the same login you use for the website. If an app asks for your card number and PIN but doesn't have you log into your BenefitsCal account, be suspicious.
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Savannah Vin
•Thank you for the warning! I found the official BenefitsCal app in the app store. The reviews aren't great but at least it's the official one and not some scam.
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Lucas Lindsey
anybody know if u can report income on the app?? my hours change every week at my job n its annoying to keep calling about it
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Mason Stone
•Yes, you can report income changes through the app. Go to the "Changes" section and select "Income Change." You can take pictures of your paystubs right from your phone to upload. Just remember you only need to report when your income goes OVER the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) that's listed on your last approval letter, not for every small change.
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Savannah Vin
Just wanted to update that I got the BenefitsCal app and it's working pretty good for checking my balance and upcoming payment dates. It did crash once when I tried to upload a document but it worked the second time. Way better than calling that automated line! Thanks everyone for the help.
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Christian Bierman
•Glad it's working for you! One tip: if you turn on notifications in the app, it will actually alert you when your SAR7 is due, when you have a new notice, or when there's an action needed on your case. Saves a lot of stress about missing important deadlines.
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Jade Lopez
For anyone having issues with the BenefitsCal app crashing, try clearing the app cache or reinstalling it. I had the same problem where it would freeze when uploading documents, but after reinstalling it's been much more stable. Also make sure you have a good internet connection when submitting stuff - I noticed it fails more often on weak WiFi or cellular signals. The app isn't perfect but it's definitely better than waiting on hold for 2+ hours just to check basic info. I use it mainly for checking balances and payment dates, then use the full website on my computer for anything more complicated like submitting lengthy documents.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Thanks for the troubleshooting tips! I'm new here and just getting started with CalWORKs benefits. Good to know about the app stability issues before I download it. I'll definitely try the full website first for important stuff like document uploads. Quick question - do you know if there's a way to get text notifications when payments are deposited, or do I still need to check manually?
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